Midnight Rhapsody
by NocturneLuxus
Summary: Kylan and Ren, a Demon Hunter and a Wizard respectively, was simply searching the old cabin by the oasis to look for clues. Little do they know that fate brewed a special course for them. (Disclaimer: I do not own Diablo 3. This is Fanfiction not entirely set according to the game's storyline. Chapters are series of one-shots, which can be read at any order and still make sense!)
1. First Night

The frigid air that swept through the sandy dunes of the Borderlands was greeted by silence. It was a desolate area, with only the moon alongside its dull light as company. Even the creatures of the Burning Hell were asleep, despite most being nocturnal hunters.

Hidden at the heart of Dahlgur Oasis, at the farthest edge of the desert, stood a wooden cottage. The small house was eerily quiet. Abandoned and decrepit, it was painfully obvious how nobody was inhabiting it for a long time now. However, it was a very different night. From beneath the building, a wooden basement filled with old and forgotten tomes and grimoires were ransacked by two individuals. Both showed no concern in overturning and wrecking all that they could grab.

"I can't find anything," said the hooded one. He stopped from turning over and tossing away the ancient texts out of its rotting shelves. His voice, though monotonous, had a spike of anger, which was barely hidden at all. "It seems that the old man failed to include that this house was worthless to begin with. There were no signs of any Cultist activity anywhere here."

"Careful with what you say, Kylan," replied his companion. He turned around and looked at him straight to his eyes. "Besides, we haven't search the entire house yet. We both knew that those Cultists are clever enough to hide their traces rather effectively."

Kylan removed the hood from his head and looked at his friend with his sapphirine eyes. He took a deep breath as he collected his thoughts. Reigning over his temper began to become harder each passing day. The last thing he needed to do was to drive away the only person that he had found solace with. It helps that they have known each other since children- way before he was diagnosed with anger issues. But right now, he was losing too much patience.

"Yet Ren, you can't find a single trace of black magic. Therefore, it is unlikely we would find anything remotely close about the damnable vizier!" He slammed a fist at the closest wooden shelf, breaking it apart. A puff of dust that had accumulated from time danced in the air.

Alerted, Ren tried to placate his friend and approached him much like how one would try approaching a rabid wolf.

"Calm down just a minute! Why don't you take deep breaths, okay? It might be that- huh?" Ren stopped and looked at the remnants of the shelf. There was an oddly placed cloth hanging on the wall with a demonic circle was placed. Worry was overwritten with excitement as he found a clue and was giving thanks to his lucky stars that Kylan chose that moment to get angry.

"Kylan, I think you've found our clue!" He approached the debris and cleared it away before pulling off the cloth, revealing a reddish gem embedded to the wall. He moved aside and pointed it to Kylan, all the while grinning. "So it seems that the old man was right about something, eh?"

"Whatever. Let's get this over with..." Kylan took one of his hand-crossbows, readying it with bolts of arrows.

Ren, on his side of things, grabbed his wand and pointed it at the gemstone. He fidgeted a little before giving Kylan a sheepish smile. The latter knew all too well what it meant- 'Stand guard and brace yourself. I am readying a spell that might hit you.'

"Are you ready?" He asked. "There might be members of the Coven beyond this passage, so… you know what to do, right?"

When Kylan nodded, they both took a few backwards. The hunter added another precautionary step backwards, knowing how detrimental his friend's magic is to his safety.

As he prepared to uncover the supposed hidden room, Ren readjust the grip of his wand. He sent out a small bolt of magic at the glowing piece, and a melodious sound emanated from the gem. It took a few seconds before it stopped. Then slowly, the whole wall began to fade away, revealing a dark and musty hall with a few torches dotted along the walls.

"It seemed that they used the gemstone, imbue it with magic, so they could hide the passageway with a physical illusion," Kylan said lowly, silently cursing that he was not able to detect such kind of magic.

"And to not arouse suspicions," Ren added, "they placed the cloth and enchanted it in such a way that it blocked their magic footprints, thereby preventing it from being felt by high level Wizards and the like…"

Picking up the nearest torch, the Wizard illuminated the path ahead. Kylan stayed behind him, aiming his weapon at anything obscured by the darkness. The walk itself was filled with tension, especially since they were both literally walking towards enemy territory. It was not long enough that they reached a crossroad. The left being lit with more torches, and the right having some sort of green bioluminescent glow.

"I choose the right one. You?" Ren asked.

"Right. I've sensed something there. Either they are conducting the ritual or preparing for one. We should act quickly or we might have to face that Witch again." Kylan tried to hide his loathing at the mere mentioning of her title, but the words that escaped his mouth expressed nothing but anger. It felt like hot iron to the skin, which made the Wizard worried and frightened at the same time.

Ren recalled the current leader of the Dark Coven, Maghda, who was an underling of Belial. The Witch, whom they had the pleasure to meet at the cathedral in Wortham, appeared before them with the intent to kill. They may have not been her prime targets, but it was all clear that anyone aligned with the light was an enemy.

The two of them were unprepared to battle such a foe and even with their efforts she had been simply too strong. If it were not for another group of adventurers, they might not have escaped from her attacks. Ren overestimated himself and his abilities while Kylan was losing his discipline fast- his blood boiling at the mere sight of her. It was almost like reliving childhood altogether back in the town of Shion, a small village in Xian Sai.

At present, both adventurers were reconsidering their decision. It was, after all, a gamble with a high price- their lives.

"Why can't we not simply use stealth?" Kylan asked. "Whether or not that Witch is there does not matter. Either way, we would have the element of surprise in our side. Just by hiding within the shadows, we could catch then off guard, and then we could destroy them when they least expected."

"Ah, but have you forgotten the fact that she could very well summon forth more of her followers? Never mind that she can fight us even as an illusion, the Witch could very well send us to our early deaths!" The young Wizard explained.

Kylan thought for a moment, but was cut short when his companion gave him a peculiar smile. It was a distinguishable smile known to Kylan whenever an idea had struck him. Admittedly, Ren was a genius unlike any other.

"Now don't you worry too much since I have a plan," Ren said with a confident smile.

"Is it a good one?"

"I have a plan." He insisted.

"Denied. On the other hand, I might be able to blend well into the shadows and act as a scout. I'll come back and-"

"No. Last time we did that, you lost yourself to anger and massacred a group from the Thieves Guild."

"Then I've got nothing then. I concede that I had too much anger in me to even think properly, despite trained to keep my emotions in check. However, I can rest assure you that I would promise not to let my anger get the best of me."

Unamused, Ren scoffed at the proclamation, earning him a heated glare.

"Like how you 'controlled your anger' a week ago? Or how about that time at the Caverns of Araneae?"

"Fine," Kylan growled, acknowledging defeat. "Then I'll follow through your plans… just make sure that this plan of yours involves getting rid of the pests."

Ren let out a deep sigh. Kylan has too much grudge in him that his invaluable skills as a prodigious Daemon Hunter would be wasted. Once Kylan sets his sights on anyone that was remotely connected with evil, he immediately lose composure. Admittedly, he has his own faults as well. Being raised by a Clan of well-known Wizards does that to a person.

If it were, Ren would represent Pride whereas Kylan to Ire.

"How about we just continue like always, hm? We both quietly walk in, then decide to attack or flee. Agreed?"

Kylan opened his mouth to demur but was unable to come up with anything. He simply closed his mouth and nodded.

"Okay. I'll be at front. You'll be the rear guard," Ren instructed.

As they silently approached the source of the eerie glow, they prepared themselves for any possible scenario. However, the two were shocked speechless at the scene that was laid bare in front of them.

Rather than an abandoned mineral deposit, they were standing at the entrance to a large room carved out from the rocks. The greenish light made it hauntingly creepy, and rightly so. The giant emerald gem sticking out of the centre of the ground was also the source of the green coloured light. From the base of the towering gem was a white haired girl dressed in a simple yellow top, scarlet pants, and brown leather shoes. She was chained to the ground and was unconscious- almost as silent like death. Only her breathing, though ragged and quiet, ensured she was alive. The two wasted no time to help her.

"It looked like an outfit native to Ivgorod..." Ren mused as he and Kylan tried to unlock the chains that bound her to the glowing rock. "Isn't that near the Dreadlands?"

"Yes, now concentrate."

"And is it true that she's a Monk?

Kylan sighed, but nodded. "Correct, though this woman here seems to wear something akin to the apprentice garb. I've seen Monks before and, needless to say, whoever brought her here must've been someone powerful to make a steeled warrior unconscious like this."

"Was their monastery or something attacked by Demons? Is that what you're trying to say?"

"Apprentice or Masters, Demons can be easily crushed by their powerful and swift movements. No, I think she was abducted at the least expected time."

"Hm… either way, this must be a work a powerful Cultist. I can see traces of the dark magic from the chains." Ren spat in disgust, looking at the accursed runes engraved at the chains with disdain. He pointed his wand at the metallic chains. As he began channelling his Arcane Power, a surge of energy erupted from the chains. The woman moaned in agony as Ren and Kylan were thrown off balance, making them crash into the wall.

"What was that?" Kylan got up first and moved closer to Ren, hovering over him protectively. While he said it with his usual and indifferent tone, the Wizard knew it was the closest thing the hunter could have express his surprise and worry. An improvement, he thought.

"It was most likely a spell meant to keep a prisoner locked up safely," Ren replied. "It seems as though they've used a more dangerous spell…"

Unamused, Kylan raised a brow. "Explain."

"For starters," he began, "the only way to remove these chains is to undo the whole spell. Or, if we're lucky enough, find the source of magic and destroy it. I know little about dark magic, let alone how to dispel them, but this is frankly the only option I could think of."

"Are you sure those are our only options?"

Ren shifted his weight from one foot to the other. Uncertainty was written all over his face, but is quite vehement in his stand.

"Yes."

"Then," Kylan aimed his weapon at the tunnel, "we could call for them."

Ren's eyes widened when he noticed that, rather than a normal arrow, a Cluster Arrow was loaded at the hand-crossbow. He immediately reached out, but was a second too late. Kylan shot the arrow. It hurtled across the room and sailed right past the entrance to the room. A few seconds later, a large explosion was heard, followed by a plethora of voices.

"I really hope that whoever made this spell could tell us how to undo it." Ren readied himself in face of the approaching enemies. "If we make this out alive, I don't know if I would hug you or push you off a cliff."

"I'd rather not on both options."

The clattering sounds of people coming closer grew loud. Kylan and Ren aimed their respective weapons as the entrance, the former nocking his hand-crossbows with Cluster Arrows and the latter ready to summon a Spectral Blade at any given moment.

Not soon after did several men appeared. They wore cloaks with elaborate symbols etched at the fabric and had pointed hoods covering their heads. Before any could do anything, a simple yet commanding question silenced them.

"Who goes there!?" Shouted the one at the very back. They all gave way to another Cultist. From his bell-staff on hand, it marked him as a Dark Vessel.

"A hierarchy of sorts, it seemed, and he must be the leader," muttered Ren. His body tensed as he felt the awful dark energy emanating from that man.

"So… a Wizard and a Daemon Hunter. To what do I owe you the pleasure?" His voice sent chills, although neither the two winced nor showed any sign.

"What did you do to the girl?" He snarled. "Let her go this instant!"

"Kehehe… that little lady had been sleeping for quite some time now…" his malicious grin threatened to break his face. The maniacal side was yet to show. His deranged looks and maddening aura was enough to send Ren at the edge. On the other hand, Kylan stood his ground, stamp out his growing uneasiness, and let the seeping darkness envelope him freely. It was with the help of his training back at the Borderlands with his Mentor that he honed to accept this force and use it against its source.

"Tell us how to undo the spell!" Kylan raised his voice in anger. Both his weapons were aimed at the Dark Vessel, and forefingers twitching to press the trigger.

"… No."

Kylan shot the Cluster Arrows while Ren created an energy field that slowed them done. It was nothing more than a massacre. The explosive arrows badly burned the Cultists, who were dilatory in reacting thanks to the Slow Time spell.

The dust clouded Kylan and Ren's vision momentarily, and when it settled, no living Cultists were in sight. That is, save for the grotesquely daemonic creature that stood at its centre. It looked relatively unharmed, but judging its features, the once man had undergone a painful transition. A daemon taking over the body of a man was described as pure agony for both beings.

Unfortunately for them, the spell wore off, allowing time to flow naturally. The Thrall flew towards Kylan with a surprising speed and grabbed him tightly.

"Kylan!" Ren shouted as he aimed his wand at the monstrous creature. The tip of the wand sparked to life, and a burst of purple missiles shot at random- the walls, the ceiling, and even close to himself. It only hit the daemon once, and that was enough for it to shift attention.

"That's right, over here!" He taunted.

Rather than a reply, the being threw Kylan towards Ren. The latter unfailingly caught him, but the strength of the throw toppled him as well. They both crashed at the wall harshly. In response, the cave shook for a moment.

"Our mistress would be very pleased by this… a Wizard, a Daemon Hunter, and a Monk as sacrifices for the dark lord…" The Thrall's mixed voice of human and daemom crackled like thunder.

Ren tried to shield Kylan, who was unconcious, away from the approaching monster. The situation was grim. The Wizard felt that his legs and back were too injured for him to even move away from the spot and, judging from Kylan's wound, he needs to be brought to town for the Healers to treat him. Without a second thought, he wrapped his arms around his friend and glared at the creature, daring him to come over.

The Thrall approached them rather slowly, grinning wildly at his prey.

"Don't you dare touch him, you monster!" He growled through the pain that tried silencing him. "Else I'd kill you with a slow and painful death!"

"With your wand broken and battered?" The monster sneered as he raised its clawed arm, ready to end two more lives.

Ren hugged Kylan harder as if it could protect him from the oncoming attack.

"It'll be okay," he whispered. "I'm here."


	2. Second Night

**Author's note:**

Hey, Nocturne here! I know it's late, but really, I've been editing and re-editing this one for several months now... again, this story is about various one-shots about Kylan and Ren, a Daemon Hunter and a Wizard. So continuity and all would be thrown out of the window! Read any of the stories in any order, and it'll still make sense! So enough about me, and enjoy!

* * *

New Tristram… the site of untold horrors.

Just maybe, the name Tristram was a curse. Perhaps, maybe the people would want to see Tristram as a new hope of sorts, but no-one ever learn, do they? Old Tristram was the capital site for when Diablo rose out from the fiery depths, so what's not to say that New Tristram would be the site for _new_ horrors?

Piles upon piles of corpses were set beside the pyre, of which was fuelled not by wood, but by the rotting cadavers. Some of the corpse looked old while many were fairly new. Nevertheless, it was the first thing the Daemon Hunter saw from his vantage point. The macabre scene laid at the very entrance of the town was simply too much for most, but for anyone who had experienced much worse, as it would be in his case, then this would merely be an inconvenience of sorts. The stench of burning flesh and the annoying flies, to name some.

As the gates opened wide, many eyes fell onto the new arrivals to their fair town. Though the caravan was nothing much to speculate, it was its cloaked passenger.

Kylan gave the coach a few coins for the fare as soon as they stopped by at the town square. Surprisingly, it looked generally cleaner than the display of dead from the town's gates. The town was fairly new, many said in passing, but the look on each of the townspeople felt as if centuries of terror had already swept through them. But despite all nuances, the young man held his emotions; it would not do him any good to show any feelings. After all, this was simply the rendezvous point to meet his friend.

Absentmindedly, he touched the locket he kept hidden under his dark coloured attire. It was the only thing that had kept him together, after their last meeting on their hometown in Xian Sai… after it was ravaged by the daemonic horde. He shook his thoughts and made use of his free time to wander about New Tristram.

It was clear that the whole place felt nothing more than dismal anticipation of the next attack. Kylan remembered how the news spread throughout the country… on how the dead rose out of the ground after the appearance of what seemed to be a falling star. Coincidence? Perhaps, and perhaps not. There were, after all, too little facts to toy around to begin with.

Each person he met along the streets were cautioned around him, though others had the glint of relief. The Daemon Hunter thought none of it and simply enjoyed the remaining time he had left all to himself. As soon as he and his friend meet, they would go on to adventures, as they had promised on their last meeting with each other. Kylan, rather than to pursue his magic training, went with the Daemon Hunter Lugh. On the other hand, his childhood friend went along with the Wizard Syrcee. Despite such, they vowed to meet once either of them had finished their apprenticeship, and that time was now.

"Where is he?" He growled lowly as to not upset any more people than he already had. "I had walked all over the town twice by now…" With no means to check the time, Kylan was left to find a different way. Clocks? None. People to ask with? They seemed to disappear from his line of sight. Pocket watch? His had been damaged.

The Daemon Hunter controlled his rising temper, which had caused enough trouble for him to last for a lifetime. From the vast Dreadlands to the Southern Isles, his fiery temper gave him unsavoury enemies during his time with his mentor. Many of which were part of the higher and more powerful echelons of society. Three of them were even the mayors of their respective towns, but none dared to attack him, as he solved half of their problems. Particularly, the monster hunting portion of the problem.

He took deep breaths and settled to just stand on guard to any caravan that might enter. Once, his master told him that the only way to reign his emotions was to become still and silent. It worked for most part, so Kylan knew just how effective it was to be quiet. He also then decided that Ren would never be late without proper reason.

Just as he had calmed down, loud bells rang across the town. Many guard on worned out armour rushed towards the front gate as they armed themselves with weapons presented by the blacksmith. Curiously though, the smith in question was not present. Surely he must be present to fix any damaged weapon, but the workshop looked unattended for a while, despite having all weapons ready to be picked up and used for battle.

Before Kylan could ask for the reason, the one manning the bell shouted out loud for everyone to hear. "The Dead are rising! The Dead are rising!" He repeated whilst still ringing the bell.

Citizens scattered about like headless chickens before ultimately hiding and barricaded themselves to the nearest building they were at.

"Mister! Come quick else the Dead might get to you!" A barmaid from the local inn called out. "Hurry now!"

Kylan spared her no glance as he took out his twin hand-crossbows. "No need for that… I'm coming for them…" He ran towards where the chaos had been- the gates. He manoeuvred through the crowding guards easily and managed to get in front of them. True enough, the dead were surely rising. "Finally, something to do…"

Bodies large and small, as well as those that were simply torsos, crept closer to the gates. The only thing that had kept them were the spiked barricades and the bowman on each end of the gate. Behind them, however, was one that was quite different. It was quite clear that the grotesque zombie was a effeminate- maybe what was once a woman. It was slouching and clearly a walking cadaver much like the rest of her companions, yet with one look, anyone could see that she was more than just that… that the Undead creature was far unique.

"It's one of them… those Wretched Mothers!" The captain amongst the group shouted. He pointed his sword towards the group of monsters and shouted, "Let us vanquish these foul creatures! Make haste, and prioritise the Wretched Mother!"

Kylan slipped away from the crowd and went back to the rear end of the crowd. Though not much of a number, these twelve or so soldiers had kept the zombies at bay with their hardened swords, much to his surprise. With equipment like those, a Lacuni from the desert wastelands could kill them in a single blow- either the females with their explosives or the males and their strength.

"Wretched Mother, huh?" He took out a small notebook hidden beneath the folds of his cloak and written down the creature's name. "Well… I learn new things everyday…" Kylan hid them as quickly as he could before he started to nock some arrows to his hand-crossbows and silently waited for the perfect time to strike. The sounds of steel cutting through flesh was sickening for some, but for Kylan, it was a melody of righteous destruction, a haunting memory, as well as perfect makeshift timer.

3…

2…

1…

The sapphirine-eyed marksman leapt out of his hiding spot and, as soon as he cloaked himself with his Shadow Power, aimed his weapons at the army of Undead and released a flurry of arrows. Protection was, after all, a necessity. One bolt after the other, the Daemon Hunter quickly reloaded a new arrow as soon as he finished firing. The guards, though startled at first at this new comer, shifted their attention back to their mutual enemy. Specifically, the Wretched Mother who was hiding farthest to the group. Swords raised, they charged towards the horrific monster with the intent to kill.

But even if they had numbers on their side, the Wretched Mother was living up to its name. She retched some kind of toxic vomit as a projectile from her mouth, damaging and had inflicted poison to some of them. Others had already made their tactical retreat, as they had no shields to protect themselves. When it was clear that the guards had became more wary, the Wretched Mother puked all over the ground which raised more of the Undead. Truly, she was a difficult foe as she was wretched.

Kylan tried to aim even a single shot at her, though it pays to have a wall of meat that blocked his arrows, and because he had ran out of gun powder weeks ago, so he was not able to prepare any kind of explosives that would surely killed the vomiting fiend.

The soldiers were at lost on what to do. As long as that Wretched Mother keep calling forth more and more of the damned corpses, there would be no end to it.

But as the fight lingered on, Kylan felt a strange wave of energy. A presence that was very odd, yet nostalgic. Not only was it very familiar, but it was also quite comforting, truth be told. He scanned the nearby woods, vying to locate the source. A zombie that managed to get too close tried to claw him, but his honed senses kicked in, and he dodged the incoming blow before he retaliated with a knife throw. It pierced through its head and the dagger embedded itself to a tree. Kylan then went back to searching the presence of the mouse.

"I know you're out there, so come out and help us!" He shouted out loud. When nothing replied, he shouted again, angrily, "Ren, come out now!"

Out from the woods was another adolescent, dressed in an outfit uniquely to Xian Sai- silk robes and all. "You're no fun at all, Kylan!" He said.

"Stop playing games and help me now."

"Okay! Say the magic word…"

"I mean it, Ren," Kylan growled.

"Fine, fine…" He raised his wand towards the Undead horde and fired off a missile of ice. He did it so in rapid succession, that multitudes of the dead had turned frozen. Soon after, they crumbled down into pieces as the guards sweep their swords through their cold bodies. Thus prompted a window of opportunity to strike down the gruesome creature.

Kylan took the chance and quickly vaulted to another position. It was time to take down the queen. He first threw a dagger at the Wretched Mother before he began firing a volley of arrows towards the pointed direction.

The creature, without her defense, was impaled by not only the dagger, but several arrows that followed after it as well. She shrieked a painfully loud cry before it stilled, dead as it should be.

Recovering from their second round of stupor, the guards felt their morale raised and finished off what Undead monster remained- those that were lucky enough not to be hit with the spell. Swift and easy as it should be, it gave end to the Undead horde. Without the Wretched Mother to create more zombies, it was a quick job to slay them all.

The Wizard treaded carefully towards Kylan as to avoid the heaps of cadavers and blood, a smile on his face as soon as he got closer. "Bet you didn't expect me to come, now did you?"

"The thought was there, but I believed you wouldn't betray my trust... though you should really intervened earlier. Just now, I lost a lot of my arrows... and now, I'm rendered useless unless you count my only knife that remained…"

The warm smile Ren graced Kylan with had not wavered. "Of course. Don't worry though, I guess I could help you with the cost."

* * *

As the skirmish ended, they retreated back to town. They being Ren and Kylan, as the rest of the militia scouted the area for any more traces of the Undead. The former had wisely said how they both would end up getting recruited for an exploration of sorts if they lingered around them for too long. And while Kylan had agreed that it would be best not to meddle further, he still thought they should have joined them to hunt down the rest. Just to be sure, he argued, but stopped pressing it further when Ren had been getting suspicious. After all, it would do no good if the Wizard knew he was willing to try to uproot the cause of evil single-handedly.

As they discussed their plans, Kylan and Ren entered the Slaughtered Calf Inn, which provided both of them, as a commemoration of sorts, with refreshments. The barkeep gave out free drinks to those who took part of the defence, them included.

The captain, who was actually not a captain, but a stand-in for the real one, gave them his thanks before he scuttled towards his drinking buddies. Though the Undead would surely appear once more, they were safe for now, and that was what counted, and that was all the town wanted.

Truthfully, it irked Kylan, as he wanted to get rid of the root cause. Ren managed to calm him down, at least enough for the former to bolt out of town and go hunting all alone.

"So," Ren took a sip at his drink, "how are you after all these years? Did'ya miss me?"

Kylan frowned, though gave a small nod. "Maybe," he replied, after a thought, "though I sure felt fine during my years of training in the Dreadlands..."

"Oh? You didn't feel anything, like being sad and all?"

"I am sure that you enjoyed your stay with your mentor."

The Wizard stared at him, baffled, until it finally clicked. Kylan had longed to meet him again, and was sulking here and now… what a bothersome childhood friend.

"So does this mean you were really lonely all throughout the years without me, your 'dà gē', huh?"

Kylan, for what seemed to be the first time in ages, blushed furiously as he remembered good pieces if his childhood… which involved following Ren almost anywhere as his honourary little brother. He coughed at his hand and drank some refreshment instead.

"Aw, were you blushing?"

"Stop that."

"Stop what, xiăo dì? Look at your face, as red as a tomato!"

Kylan gave up and instead, ignored his incessant banters.

Soon after, a barmaid, one that had called out to Kylan earlier, arrived at their table with their dinner.

"Here you go, some freshly baked bread, pork braised in wine, and some vegetables steamed then drenched with butter. I hope you two enjoy your meal," she said. "Oh, and I had already prepared your beds… though…"

"What about it?" Ren asked, already filling his plate with large portions.

"I… I'm sorry, but we're already booked, so you two would… um, have to share a bed with each other," she replied, and added quickly, "if it's only all right though!"

Kylan looked up from his plate and eyed at the young woman. "We'll be fine."

She relaxed and bid them a good meal before leaving to attend other tables.

"That went well, now haven't it?"

"… shut up and eat your food."

"You're the boss," he joked.

The two ate in relative silence, ignoring the incessant chattering of all the other customers, specifically those that took part of defending their town. The guards were weary and tired, but the townsfolk were brimming with joy as they were safe and unscathed.

And by that, at the expense of the armed guards.

They paid them no heed as they continued to plan out for the days ahead. At least, it would all be interesting to see how much they had grown for the last ten years under the tutelage of their respective teachers.

* * *

"I still think it's to the left," the Wizard said as he studied the map on his hand again. "Look, we're about to head at some sort of ruins, and according to this here's map, we are going at the wrong direction."

"No, if you look here-" he pointed at the the map- "then that means our destination would lead us to the right, and not to the left as you would have expected."

"I still think we should go to the left," Ren grumbled before following Kylan.


End file.
